The present invention relates to sheet cutting presses and, more particularly, a sheet cutting press with improvements directed to a guide for the platen and an improved die feed system.
Dies and sheet cutting presses are used to cut various patterns out of sheet materials. The presses are designed to apply uniform pressure to a platen and die to cut through a sheet or a plurality of sheets simultaneously. The forces that are generated during the cutting action oftentimes force the platen to become nonparallel in relation to the die, which may result in an uneven or incomplete cut through the sheet material. Therefore, in the past, improvements to die presses have been directed toward maintaining the platen parallel in relation to the die throughout the cutting stroke.
Disclosed is a die press, comprising a base, opposing first and second supports extending from the base, at least one cam member that is supported by the opposing supports, means for rotating the cam member, at least one bearing located on the cam member, a platen positioned generally between the at least one bearing and the base, and a cover being unitary with the platen, the cover being slidably engaged with the opposing supports to guide the platen during operation of the die press.
In another aspect of the invention, disclosed is a die press, comprising a base, an upper platen opposite of the base, means for moving the upper platen toward the base by rotating at least one cam member, and means for guiding the upper platen.
In another aspect of the invention, disclosed is a die press, comprising a base, opposing first and second supports extending from the base, a cam member that is supported by the opposing supports, means for rotating the cam member, a plurality of bearings located on the cam member, an upper platen positioned generally between the bearings and the base, and a cover being attached to the platen to define a unitary structure, the cover being slidably engaged with the opposing supports to guide the upper platen during operation of the die press and to resist torsional forces.
In yet another aspect of the invention, disclosed is a die press, comprising a base, at least two opposing supports extending from the base, at least one cam member that is supported by the opposing supports, a handle extending from the cam member, an upper platen positioned between the bearings and the base, the base further including at least two rails extending from the base, the rails being adapted to support a die.
Further, disclosed is a cover used with the die press which has stiffening ribs to resist torsional forces applied to the cover during operation of the press. Also disclosed is a feed system to feed a die or shuttle into the platen working area by utilizing rails that extend from the base. Each rail further includes a cutout, and the cutouts oppose each other to define a track so that a die or shuttle may be moved along the track into and out of a working area between the platen and the base.